Abdominal supporter.



Patented Oct. 8, 190i.

W. B. DEWEES.

ABDOMINAL SUPPOBTER.

(Application filed July 17, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lVILLlAM B. DEWEES, OF SALINA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO IDA V. DEWEES, OFSAME PLACE.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,200, dated October8, 1901.

Application filed July 17,1901.

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. DEWEES,

a citizen of the United States, residing at the corner of Santa Fe andPrescott avenues, Salina, in the county of Saline and State of Kansas,have invented new and useful Improvements in Abdominal Supporters, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to abdominal supporters, the object in view beingto provide a simple, economic, efficient, and comfortable supporter forthe purpose specified which is readily applicable to different personsand which may be adjusted to bear the proper relation to the bodyforsupporting the abdomen.

With the above general object in View the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement hereinafter fullydescribed, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of thesupporter, showing its relation to the body, the latter being indicatedin outline. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the. supporter looking fromthe rear. Fig. 3 is a front view of the front pad of the supporter,showing the relation of the yoke and supporting-arms thereto and theconnection of the adjusting and supporting strap. Fig. at is a detailelevation of one of the back pads looking from the rear. Fig. 5 is adetail perspective view showing one of the ends of the securing-strap.Fig. 6 is an edge view of one of the back pads, showing the eye forreceiving one of the hooks on the securingband. Fig. '7 is a fragmentaryedge view of the securing-band, showing one of the hooks for engaging aback pad.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

The abdominal supporter contemplated in this invention comprises,essentially, a front pad 1,'a pair of back pads 2, a supportingyoke 3,and a combined adjusting and supporting strap or band 4:, the said partsbeing combined and arranged substantially as illustrated in the detachedperspective view, Fig. 2. Both front and back pads are formed offoraminated or perforated sheet metal, meshed wire fabric, or the like,and the front pad at its upper edge is given a crescent shape, while atits lower and side edges it is heart-shaped, the lobes of the heartbeing swaged to form Serial Nd 68,608. (No model.)

rounded projections or bulging portions, as indicated at 5, to bear withgreater pressure than the remainder of the pad against certain portionsof the body. The yoke 3 is composed of spring-wire, and the centralportion of the section of wire from which the yoke is formed is bent toregister with the lower and side edges of the front pad, as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 3, and is connected with the pad by rolling the saidedges of the material from which the pad is formed over the wire, asclearly indicated in Fig. 3, thus doing away with the necessity of usingsolder or mechanical fastening devices for securing the yoke and frontpad together. Instead of incising the rolled edge 6 of the pad in orderto allow the yoke to emerge therefrom the wire from which the yoke isformed is given a short or abrupt bend, as indicated at 7, allowing thewire to pass outward beneath the inward edge of the roll, in which thecentral portion of the yoke is confined. The entire edge, including theupper portion of the pad, is, however, rolled, so that there are nosharp projecting edges to create discomfort to the wearer. At the centerof the front pad the wire which forms the yoke is bent to form a loop17, which is disposed horizontally, with the end portions of the loopextending in opposite directions,

adapting them to receive hooks 18, attached to the opposite ends of thesecuring-band 4. This construction does away with the necessity ofemploying projections or studs for attaching the securing-band to thepad. The back pads 2 have their edges rolled over the looped extremitiesof the yoke in the same manner, the extremities being bent into circularform, as shown at 8, and after forming the loop 8 the wire is given anabrupt bend, as shown at 9, whence it is extended to form one of thesupporting-arms 10, which constitutes a part of the yoke. The terminalsof the Wire after forming the loops 8 are bent to extend diametricallyacross the back pads, and such diametrically-extending terminals arebent about centrally of the pad to form ofistanding eyes 19, the samebeing designed to interlock with hooks 20, carried by the securing-bandl, for properly positioning the back pads 2.

' The adjusting and supporting band or strap 4 is composed of webbing,either elastic or inelastic, according to requirements, and itsextremities are provided with hooks 18 to fit into the end portions ofthe loop 17 of the front pad, as hereinabove described, while the otherhooks 20 on the band or strap are adapted to fit into the eyes 19,projecting from the outer surfaces of the back-pads 2. The band or strapmay be further provided with an adj usting-buckle, as shown at 16, to

take up slack in the strap and adapt the same to be adjusted snugly tothe body.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the band or strapperforms a twofold function-first, it increases the supporting orlifting power of the supporter, and, secondly, it assists in holding thepads of the supporter in place and adjusting the devices as a whole tothe body.

The device is simple in construction and economic in manufacture,comprising but four piecesviz. a front pad, two back pads, and a yoke,either with or without the adjusting-strap. By reference to Fig. 1 itwill be seen that the back pads are located in a higher plane than thefront pad, which gives the supporter the power to lift the abdomen, theordinary supporters only serving'to exert an inward pressure against theabdomen. It will also be seen that the back pads are placed well out. onthe sides of the hips, where they rest on the thick muscles, therebygiving com fort to the wearer. The side arms of the yoke emerge from theside edges of the front pad near'to, but slightly below, the top edge ormargin thereof, and by this means the lifting power is distributed alongthe lower and side edges of the pad, the pressure being thus applied aslow as possible so as to produce the requisite lifting effect.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is

1. A supporter for the purpose set forth comprising a perforated metalfront pad,perforated metal back pads, and a yoke connectpads.

2. A supporter for the purpose specified,

comprising a front pad, back pads, a springyoke comprising side armsconnecting the back pads with the front pad, anda combined supportingand adjusting strap having its ex tremities detachably connected withthe front pad and other portions thereof detachably associated with theback pads. 7

3'. A supporter for the purpose specified, comprising a front pad, back.pads, a connecting-yoke comprising spring'supportingarms extendingbetween the front and backpads, said yoke being bent to form a looplyingat one side of the front pad, and eyes projecting outward from theback pads, and a securing band or strap having hooks to engage "saidloop and eyes.

4:. A supporter for the purpose specified, comprising a front pad,backpads, a spring: wire yoke comprising side arms connecting the backpads with the front pad, the springyoke being bent adjacent to'the frontpad to form a loop with oppositely-projecting end portions, and the armsoftheyokebeingterminally bent in'annular form to'support'the back padsand'then extended diametrically across the back pads andolfset'centrally to form eyes, and a combined supporting and to engagethe loop of the front'p'ad and with intermediate hooks to engage theeyes of the back pads. v V a In testimony whereof I affix mysignature inpresence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM B. DEWEES. Witnesses:

J. W. NEPTUNE, R. P. CRAvENs.

8o, adjusting rap provided withterminal'hooks a a r 56 in the front padand to the eyes in the back J r

